Stihl • Chain Saws

Objective: Create a composite image of a Stihl chainsaw cutting through a plywood wall, and give the blade a sense of motion with flying debris.
Process/Solution: To evoke a sense of movement, we layered multiple exposures into a single, composite image; a task that proved difficult given the shot’s shallow depth of field. The close-up, wide-angle shot could not sufficiently hold depth of field for the entire saw blade. We circumvented this limitation by compositing multiple exposures, set at different focus distances, into a single image. This strategy allowed the sharpness of the blade to be increased, while maintaining the shot’s wide-angle effect.
The branding on the bar was removed and replaced with updated graphics and the chain was blurred to look as if it were in motion. Next the bits of stationary debris were selected and placed with the addition of motion blur effects to create the illusion of debris flying in many different directions.
Techniques: compositing, retouching
Acknowledgements:
Agency: The Meridian Group
Art director: Dave Watson
Photography: Glen McClure